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F.—B.

No. 66. The High Commissioner to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, -S.W., 7th February, 1908. Sir, — International Telegraph Conference. Referring to your cablegram of the Ist instant, and to my reply thereto of the 6th instant, I beg herewith to transmit copy of correspondence with the Imperial Post Office and Colonial Office. I may add that prior to receiving the Colonial Office letter of the 6th instant I was informed, on personally communicating with that office, that New Zealand had not been invited owing to an error on the part of the Portuguese Government, and that the Imperial Government were now approaching that Government for the purpose of securing a formal invitation. As, however, in the present state of affairs in Portugal there may be some delay in obtaining this, the Colonial Office suggested that, as New Zealand was entitled to have a representative at the Conference, and as the invitation is purely a matter of form and is not essential, you could make arrangements in anticipation of the receipt of a formal invitation. I may add that I, as your representative here, had received no communication from either the Imperial Post Office or the Colonial Office in respect to the matter up to the time of my receiving your cablegram of the Ist instant. I have, Ac, W. P. Reeves. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington, New Zealand. [Tel. 08/822.]

Enclosure 1 in No. 66. The Secretary to the High Commissioner to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir, — Ist February, 1908. I am directed by the High Commissioner to inform you that he has received a cablegram from his Government, stating that no invitation has been received to send a representative of New Zealand to the International Telegraph Conference, which it is understood is to meet at Lisbon in April, and in reference thereto to request that he may be informed what action has been taken in respect thereto. As time is pressing, and his Government have asked him to nominate a representative for New Zealand, the High Commissioner requests the favour of your kind and immediate attention to this matter. I am further to request that copies of the propositions (English translation) to be submitted to the Conference may be furnished for transmission to the Government in New Zealand. I have, Ac, The Secretary, General Post Office, London, E.C. Walter Kennaway.

Enclosure 2 in No. 66. The Secretary to the High Commissioner to the Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— Ist February, 1908. I am directed by the High Commissioner to enclose herewith copy of letter which he has addressed to the General Post Office, with reference to the International Telegraph Conference to be held at Lisbon in April. I have, Ac, Walter Kennaway. The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office, S.W.

Enclosure 3 in No. 66. The Secretary, General Post Office, London", to the Secretary to the High Commissioner. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 4th February, 1908. With reference to your letter of the Ist instant, on the subject of the representation of New Zealand at the International Telegraph Conference which has been appointed to meet at Lisbon in April next, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to say, for the information of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, that the arrangements for the issue to the Telegraph Administrations of the British Empire of invitations to attend international conferences do not rest with this Department except when, as on the last occasion, the Conference is held in London. The Postmaster-General can only assume that it is through some misapprehension that the Government of New Zealand have not yet received a formal invitation to send a representative to the Conference; and he would suggest that the High Commissioner should place himself in communication on the subject with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, by whom invitations to attend previous international conferences have been transmitted to the colonial Governments concerned.